Bark Painting ”My Country” Made by Johnny Bulunbulun Group: Aboriginal Australians Country: Australia Made in 1982
National Museum of Ethnology Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum of Ethnology

The Power of Images:
The National Museum of Ethnology Collection
40th Anniversary of the National Museum of Ethnology
50th Anniversary of the Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology

Wed.,February 19 – Mon., June 9, 2014

Closed on Tuesdays(except for April 29 and May 6, 2014) and May 7

The National Art Center, Tokyo, Special Exhibition Gallery 2E [ Tokyo, Roppongi ]Organized by the National Art Center, Tokyo and the National Museum of Ethnology
Co-organized by the Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (10:00 – 20:00 on Fridays)*Open until 22:00 on Saturday, April 19, 2014 (Roppongi Art Night 2014)*Admission up to 30 minutes before closingExhibition Overview

Human history is a history of images. Images preceded writing and they are believed to have
served as a source for words. The act of visualizing the world by adding shape and color toits essence and structure is a fundamental part of human nature.
Are the creation and appreciation of images universal to all people? Taking this magnificent
question as its theme, this exhibition introduces an array of formed objects that were createdin a variety of regions throughout the world. The displays will consist of outstanding articles
specially selected from the huge collection of the National Museum of Ethnology, which
has amassed materials from a host of different countries. A collaborative project between
the museum and the National Art Center, Tokyo, the exhibition will focus on shared forms,
effects, and functions of images rather than dividing them according to geographical region
or historical period. This will also provide us with an opportunity to reassess our stereotypesof formed objects.
In the expansive gallery of the National Art Center, Tokyo, everything from the masks
and religious idols that you might expect to see at the National Museum of Ethnology toworks by currently active artists will be presented side-by-side, transcending the boundary
between an institution made for art and one designed for anthropology. Visitors will havean opportunity to experience the breathtaking vitality of objects used in religious rites,
the profound nature of hybrid articles that arose out of cultural exchange, and thedynamism of images that have merged with our globalized contemporary society. In
this way, we hope that you will be able to savor the power of images as a universal
part of human culture.

Exhibition Highlights

1. A Collaboration between Two Very Different Museums
Since its opening in 2007, the National Art Center, Tokyo has endeavored to organize
numerous exhibitions, focusing primarily on modern and contemporary art. On the otherhand, the National Museum of Ethnology, which commemorates its 40th anniversary in 2014,is a world-class museum devoted to ethnology that boasts a collection of approximately
340,000 items including formed objects and everyday tools from all over the world. Jointlyorganized by these two very different institutions, the exhibition focuses on the artistic
aspects of the National Museum of Ethnology collection using an innovative approach ofdisplaying items in the National Art Center, Tokyo gallery.
2. Considering the Source of Images
The National Art Center, Tokyo has set out to create exhibitions with new perspectives
on outstanding visual art produced by people. This exhibition, including a wide range of
geographical areas and historical eras, strives to capture a dynamic relationship between
people and images. Since prehistoric times, human beings have produced images through afree use of colors and shapes while deriving a new sense of vitality from their creations. In
this exhibition, we examine the power of such images on a grand scale.
3. A Large-scale Introduction to the National Museum of Ethnology
The exhibition will present approximately 600 items from the collection of the Osaka-based
National Museum of Ethnology. While promoting research on cultural anthropology as aninter-university research institute, the museum collects and publicly displays formed objects
and everyday tools made by various ethnic groups from all over the world. This marks thefirst time that the museum’s (known affectionately as “Minpaku” in the Kansai region)collection has been presented on such a large scale in Tokyo. Numerous masterpieces,
specially selected from this collection, renowned both for its superior quantity and quality,
will be shown in a gallery with ceilings as high as eight meters.

Exhibition Details

Prologue: The Experience of the Gaze
While human beings create images, they also derive power from them. In the prologue
section, examining the dynamic relationship between people and images based on thecreation and appreciation of images, the walls will be completely covered with masks
assembled from around the world. Surrounded on all four sides by many different maskswith deeply penetrating gazes, visitors will experience a new sensation of being watchedby the images. As we are exposed to these overpowering gazes, the images seem to loom
before us.

Section 1: Images of the Invisible
1-1: Portraying Humans, Portraying Gods
Many formed objects in the world visualize things that are invisible. By giving an imageto something invisible, people attempt to control the power of these things and theirrelationship to them. Images of gods and spirits are a typical example of the way in whichpeople incorporate their own ideas. Giving a visual form to gods that resembles their own
bodies, provides people with a means of living. In this section, viewers are certain to beoverwhelmed by the tremendous power of images created by people.
1-2: Portraying TimeAs with gods and spirits, certain regional, ethnic, and religious narratives are part of aninvisible realm. As people live their lives, they strive to give especially meaningful stories avisual form. This enables them to convey the stories to future generations. In this section,
we examine various attempts from around the world to define time and narratives throughimages, including illustrated biographies of Buddha, mandalas, and Aborigine tree-bark
paintings.
Section 2: The Dynamics of Images
2-1: The Power of Light, the Power of Colors
Light and color have a strong power to attract our attention. The light and color emitted bya headdress made out of feathers or a personal accessory covered with multicolored beads,
for example, might express a human connection to something sacred or symbolize wealthand power. Attaching mirrors or pieces of metal to clothing and other daily necessities is also
recognized throughout the world as a means of warding off evil. In this section, we take acloser look at things that people use to create visual effects through light and color.
2-2: Links to the Heavens
Images sometimes draw our gaze in a particular direction. Formed objects such as grave
markers with a special emphasis on height remind us of an elevated realm or provide us witha link to the other world. Images that help convey a dead person’s soul to the next world
and function as a path for the gods when they descend to earth are a universal part of manydifferent regions and cultures. With a veritable forest of grave posts and wooden sculpturesfrom all over the world, this space evokes the connection between a distant realm and those
who inhabit the present space and time.

Section 3: Playing with Images
Not only do human beings make things with a certain purpose in mind, they also enjoy
creating and encountering images. The aprons used by Kuba women, who live in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, are adorned with a variety of appliqués. The appliqués
supersede the practical goal of patching up holes, and clearly display traces of the maker’screativity. In this section, which includes everything from Kuba aprons to Easter eggs, wepresent a variety of examples from all over the world that convey the pleasure and joy
derived from creating images.
Section 4: The Translation of Images
4-1: Hybrid ImagesThrough migration and various forms of exchange, people develop relationships with thosethey have never met before. This leads to the distinct emergence of new images throughout
the world. For example, the Fante people of Ghana saw the Union Jack as a symbol of“strength,” and decided to incorporate it into their own flag. In this section, we focus on
hybrid forms that are a product of cultural exchanges and examine how new expressions
arise by adopting images from the outside world.
4-2: Consuming Images
Images are closely connected to changes in communication, distribution, and lifestyle.
Today, images related to consumption are uniformly diffused all over the world with thesame amount of power. Toys made out of tin and aluminium cans sold as tourists souvenirs
in Senegal and Vietnam are made out of empty beverage cans with brands that are known
throughout the world. This is reminiscent of Pop Art, which took its inspiration from massconsumption society. In this section, we examine images that are being consumed in our
rapid-changing global society and acquiring new forms and functions.

Epilogue: Found Images
The images that people create are not necessarily accepted and interpreted in the samemanner in every region or culture. Not only are they sometimes misunderstood or used ina different way, they are sometimes given completely new meanings and values, greatly
altering their original form. In this section, we make use of an art museum’s basic functionof displaying “works” and exhibit practical items such as ladders and colanders using theinstallation method of contemporary art. While suggesting that appreciating an image is anextremely subjective act, this approach will also call attention to the fact that images arealways open to new contexts. In this section, which serves as an epilogue to the exhibition,
we question the function and meaning of an art museum and reexamine the relationshipbetween images and people.

Admission

Title: The Power of Images: The National Museum of Ethnology Collection
Date: Wed., February 19 – Mon., June 9, 2014
Closed on Tuesdays (except for April 29 and May 6, 2014) and May 7
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo, Special Exhibition Gallery 2E(Tokyo, Roppongi)
Organized by the National Art Center, Tokyo and the National Museum of EthnologyCo-organized by the Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (10:00 – 20:00 on Fridays)*Open until 22:00 on Saturday, April 19, 2014 (Roppongi Art Night 2014)*Admission up to 30 minutes before closing
Tickets (tax. incl.)
General: ¥1,000 (Adults) / ¥500 (College Students)
Advance: ¥800 (Adults) / ¥300 (College Students)
Group: ¥800 (Adults) / ¥300 (College Students)*Free admission on Sat., April 19, 2014 in conjunction with “Roppongi Art Night 2014” and Sun., May 18, 2014 forInternational Museum Day.
*Visitors who are under 18, including high school students and disabled people with ID booklets (along with oneassistant) will be admitted free.
*Tickets (both Advance and General) are available through Ticket Pia (P-Code: 765-886), and Lawson Ticket (L-Code:35715). Service charges may apply.
*Advance tickets can be purchased through the above services from Sat., November 9, 2013 to Tue., February 18,
2014, but will only be available at the National Art Center, Tokyo from Wed., December 11, 2013 to Mon., February
17, 2014.
*Group tickets will only be available at the venue (discounts only applicable to groups of 20 or more).
*Visitors who present a ticket or ticket stub from another exhibition currently underway at the National Art Center,
Tokyo, the Suntory Museum or the Mori Art Museum (the three facilities that make up the Roppongi Art Triangle)
will be eligible for the group discount.
*Visitors 65 and over (I.D. with proof of age required) who present a ticket stub from artist associations’exhibition held at the art center during The Power of Images will be admitted to the exhibition at the college
student group rate.
AccessDirect access from Exit 6 (in the direction of Aoyama Cemetery) of Nogizaka Stationon the Chiyoda Line of the Tokyo Metro
5-min. walk from Exit 4a of Roppongi Station on the Hibiya Line of the Tokyo Metro
4-min. walk from Exit 7 of Roppongi Station on the Toei Oedo subway line
The National Art Center, Tokyo
7-22-2 Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-8558, Japan
Tel: +81 (0)3- 5405- 8686 (Hello Dial)
Website: http://www.nact.jp/
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/the.power.of.images
Related Events
Details on related events will be released as they are finalized. For the latest information, please visit the National
Art Center, Tokyo website or the official exhibition Facebook page.
Exhibition held in the same period
NAKAMURA Kazumi
Wed., March 19- Mon., May 19, 2014
*The exhibition is also scheduled to be held at the National Museum of Ethnology
from Thu., Sept. 11 to Tue., Nov. 25, 2014.

The Power of Images: The National Museum of Ethnology Collection

List of Image Data for Press Use
We are pleased to offer a number of different images of the works on display to help
promote the exhibition. If you would like to receive one (or more), please fill out the attachedform and return it to us by fax (e-mail requests will also be honored).
*Please refrain from using the images included in the press release without prior permission.

No.
123Image

Photo Credit

No.

Ceremonial Stool

6ImagePhoto Credit
Feather HeaddressGroup: Iatmul

Group: Txukarramãe

Country: Papua New Guinea

Country: Brazil

Collected in 1988

Made in 1960s

National Museum of Ethnology

National Museum of Ethnology

Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum

Photo: Courtesy of the National Museumof Ethnology

of Ethnology

Cham mask “singye”

7Elephant Mask “mbap mteng”

Place: Thimphu

Group: Bamileke

Country: Bhutan

Country: Cameroon

Made in late 20th Century

Collected in 1996

National Museum of Ethnology

National Museum of Ethnology

Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum

Photo: Courtesy of the National Museumof Ethnology

of Ethnology“Hatohobei Wooden Man” FigurePlace: Tobi Island
Country: Palau

8

Over Skirt “ncak”

Collected around 1940

Group: Kuba

National Museum of Ethnology

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum

Collected in 1983of Ethnology

National Museum of Ethnology
Photo: Courtesy of the National Museumof Ethnology

4

Transformation Mask
Made by Richard Hunt

9Group: Fante

Group: Kwakwaka’wakw

Country: Ghana

Country: Canada Made in 1977

Made around 1940

National Museum of Ethnology

National Museum of Ethnology

Photo: Courtesy of the National Museum

Photo: Courtesy of the National Museumof Ethnology
5Appliqué flag (Emblem of an Asafo company)of Ethnology

Bark Painting ”My Country”
Made by Johnny Bulunbulun
Group: Aboriginal Australians
Country: Australia
Made in 1982
National Museum of Ethnology
Photo: Courtesy of the National Museumof Ethnology

10

Tin Lithograph Toy (Biplane)
Place: Ho Chi Minh CityCountry: Vietnam
Collected in 2000.
National Museum of Ethnology
Photo: Courtesy of the National Museumof Ethnology

The Power of Images: The National Museum of Ethnology Collection

Application Formfor Image Data and Ticket Giveaway for Press Use

Public Relations Division, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Fax: 03-3405-2532 E-mail: pr@nact.jp

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When making use of photographs, we kindly ask that you observe the following guidelines:
1. Photos of the art works are intended only for the promotion of the exhibition. Please do not use them after the exhibition has ended.
2. When using a photograph, please include the entire credit (either in English or Japanese) as provided. (Please refer to list of image data.)
3. Please do not trim or superimpose text on the photos.
4. Please submit your manuscript to us by fax or e-mail before it is published, so that we can ascertain the accuracy of the factual information.
5. After the article is published, please submit a copy of your article to us. In addition, we ask that the editorial office of your publication oversee the issuingof giveaway tickets after you receive them in the mail.

For inquiries or more information, please contact:
Ms. Ishimatsu or Ms. Kiryu or Ms. Kikuchi
Public Relations Division, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Tel: 03- 6812-9925 Fax: 03-3405-2532 E-mail: pr@nact.jp